This confectionery industry analysis shows that the UK market is on the brink of significant change.

The HFSS advertising ban is due in October 2025. Brands marketing high-fat, Sugar and Salt products face strict new rules:

  • No HFSS ads on TV before 9 pm
  • No paid digital HFSS ads (search, display, social, influencer)
  • Applies to businesses with 250 + staff
  • Organic content and B2B activity remain exempt
  • Enforced by ASA (online) and Ofcom (TV)
  • Penalties include public rulings, takedowns and fines

Brands must pivot to SEO, PR and brand‑building. SERPs are the new battleground. To dive deeper, you can get the free 69‑page confectionery report for deeper insight.

I’ve analysed our 2025 report, which ranks the top 100 online sweets and snacks brands by visibility, traffic scores, page speed, brand reach and keyword trends in the industry. The sector saw an overall visibility rise of 11%, yet winners and losers emerged.

 

Which confectionery brands dominate organic visibility?

The top players in organic traffic show where consumer demand matters. Here’s the lineup for 2025:

  1. Hotel Chocolat – 354 303 Traffic Score
  2. Cadbury – 250 104 Traffic Score
  3. Cadbury Gifts Direct – 241 872 Traffic Score
  4. Lindt – 240 314 Traffic Score
  5. Fortnum and Mason – 168 810 Traffic Score
  6. Thorntons – 166 859 Traffic Score
  7. Bettys – 82 260 Traffic Score
  8. Hancocks – 73 268 Traffic Score
  9. Wholesale Sweets – 56 126 Traffic Score
  10. Candy Mail – 51 304 Traffic Score

Organic traffic is a clear sign of who’s capturing online attention and visibility. Here are the top ten UK sofa retailers by estimated monthly organic traffic based on ranking position, search volume and click‑through estimate. It’s the closest proxy for how much demand each site captures from Google. These brands have built strong foundations in technical SEO, content depth and user experience. Hotel Chocolat leads by a distance, but the gap to Cadbury narrows monthly.

 

Which keywords offer the most significant SEO opportunities for confectionery brands?

Opportunity keywords blend high volume with low competition. These terms are ripe for targeted campaigns:

  • British chocolate bars – 600 searches, comp. score 5
  • Sweet hamper – 1,100 searches, comp. score 5
  • Chocolate gift box – 1,800 searches, comp. score 4
  • Swedish candy – 1,800 searches, comp. score 5
  • Bonbon – 2 300 searches, comp. score 10

These long‑tail queries can unlock new traffic with the right on‑page content and Digital PR.

 

Which confectionery brands have the best online reviews?

Review sentiment drives trust and conversion. Top‑rated brands in 2025 were:

  1. Bettys – score 4.7 from 28,581 reviews
  2. Chocolate Trading Co – score 4.8 from 18,682 reviews
  3. Sweetzy – score 4.3 from 29,982 reviews
  4. Monmore Confectionery – score 4.8 from 9,347 reviews
  5. Hotel Chocolat – score 3.9 from 58,550 reviews
  6. Fortnum and Mason – score 4.2 from 25,704 reviews
  7. Funky Hampers – score 4.7 from 5,511 reviews
  8. The Sweet Store – score 4.8 from 4,045 reviews
  9. Candy Mail – score 4.6 from 3,231 reviews
  10. Sponge – score 4.5 from 4,023 reviews

 

Which confectionery brands are most prominent online?

Prominence shows brand recall and audience size. The top names by combined branded search and social reach:

  1. Ferrero Rocher – 90,500 searches, social score 38,030
  2. Lindt – 40,500 searches, social score 14,350
  3. Hotel Chocolat – 368,000 searches, social score 971
  4. Fortnum and Mason – 246,000 searches, social score 1,342
  5. Cadbury – 74,000 searches, social score 2,490
  6. Snickers – 27,100 searches, social score 820
  7. Jelly Belly – 6,600 searches, social score 3,000
  8. Tony’s Chocolonely – 40,500 searches, social score 403
  9. Thorntons – 60,500 searches, social score 258
  10. Bettys – 33 100 searches, social score 432

This blend of search demand and social engagement maps real brand share of voice. To calculate this ranking, we blend branded search volume with the performance and reach of social channels for brands across the sector.

Owned social score considers followers and engaged conversations on all major social platforms.  A strong owned audience now influences SEO more than ever—brand queries feed Google’s entity understanding, soften the impact of core updates and now, social content such as TikTok videos and Instagram reels are starting to be pulled into the SERP!

Preparing for the HFSS ad ban: key moves

The HFSS ban is about to upend paid channels. Brands that act now will thrive when big‑budget competitors hit pause. Here’s what I’d do:

  • Hunt for low‑competition SERP gold with niche content
  • Snag first‑mover advantage on trending products
  • Rethink search and storytelling, not just selling

For our full tear down of what the regulations mean for you, and how to get around them, click here. 

The HFSS ban is the opportunity of the decade for search‑first marketers. Mid‑sized brands, this is your moment to shine.

 

What’s next?

  1. Want every table, graph and statistic? Download the full 69‑page confectionery market report for more insight.
  2. Need hands‑on support? Learn more about our eCommerce SEO service and see how we’re building “search for humans, not algorithms.”
  3. Want more content like this delivered daily? Connect with Michael or myself on LinkedIn, where we share regular insights, practical tips, and industry analysis to help you stay ahead of the curve.